Business machine stand



y 1939- w. T. SAGNER 2,160,289

BUSINESS MACHINE STAND Filed 001;. 8, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l "FLA-COLEINVENTORI a m J ATTORNEY.

y 30, 1939- w. T. SAGNER 2,160,289

BUSINESS MACHINE STAND Filed Oct. 8, 19:57 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR:

ATTORNEY.

" waw 45 have a pinfor support on Patented May 30, 1939 PATENT OFFICEBUSINESS MACHINE STAND Walter T. Sagner,

to Underwood W s Hartford, Conn a gno Ell tt Fisher ompan New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Application October ,8,

2 Claims.

This invention relates to stands or tables for the support of businessmachines for convenient operation thereof, and more particularly, to theauxiliary shelf or drop-leaf thereon, provided for holding referencedata required in operating the machine.

The present invention has reference especially to .stands forbookkeeping machines, the uses of which, being varied, may require thepositioning of the auxiliary shelf at one of several elevations relativeto the bookkeeping machines in addition to being foldable against theside of the stand. For example, in certain processes of bookkeeping,such as billing, an upstanding file unit or sheet-holder is used, forwhich purpose the shelf supporting same is adjusted to low position sothat the file sheets may be conveniently accessible for transfer to themachine, the file guides being readily visible by the operator.

2o @ther work may be .done on the bookkeeping machine for which theshelf is preferably elevated.

In view of the above, it is the general aim of this invention to providea simple and rugged structure for the support of an auxiliary shelfonthe bookkeeping-machine stand, the support ing structure being soorganized as to facilitate rapid and convenient setting of the shelfselectively to the desired elevation.

. A feature of the invention, is that providing adjustment to one ofseveral elevations for the shelf so that the change may be effectedwithout entirely detaching or separating the shelf from the stand andthereby accomplishing the change in 'a rapid and convenient manner. Inaddition to the features permitting change in elevation oft-he shelf,the supporting structure also permits of collapsing or folding the shelfto depend along the side of the stand when its use is not required.

The improved shelf-supporting structure embodies a pair of'bracketsorlugs forming a swingable connection to the stand at the contiguousmargin of the shelf. The mentioned brackets and-notch connection withthe corresponding legs of the stand, at least one of the pins 'beingretractable to facilitate disconnection as-required to hange-the shelfin elevation.

The overhanging portion of theshelf is braced the stand legs, thebracing prefa bail having a pivotal mountpart of the shelf and beingseparably and flexibly associated with the stand legs, at the other end.The ball or brace, being of U 55 form, permits flexure of theco-extensive arms erably forming ing at an outer 193'], Se ial No.168;!)4 6 thereof so that studs terminating the arms, may be sprungtoward each other to permit withdrawal from the engaging recesses of thestand and nee-insertion in other recesses affording a varied elevationof the shelf.

Other features and. advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the entire bookkeeping machine standincluding right and left shelves thereof, the left shelf being shown atlower position, full lines, and in phantom at elevated position.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view .of the stand, shown inFigure 1, and illustrating the left shelf in lower posit-ion preparatoryto eleyatin-g same.

Fi ure :3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the shelf ,atelevated position; and

F gure .4 is, a front elevation of the stand showing the shelves thereoffolded ;to depend along he sides th stand- .An iinderwo elb okkeepingmachine 1! 0 is supported by a stand a whi h :ha a top 1 s ur d to aframe structure including two left legs 13 and two ri ht vlees 4-4.. rad by pr a ers or cr ss-bars t5. -Ilhe s nd 5H has an adjustable side-.=tableleaf or shelf 1-8 .on the operators left and la :tabledeaf Jail:on the operators rig h neath whiclris a sm ll storage shelf L6 wherethe lopenator may conveniently store a controlrack unit at], adetachable mechanism of the bookkeepi machine, wh n substitution by an-Other like .unit ion :the machine is .desired- W n shelf ;l.8 is in thelower position a sheet holder 20 ;of .a standard-make maybe placedthereupon and the operator may conveniently look into the holder 1210from his seated position in front of the machine to readlaibill 2: orthe like, as indicated by -;the broken-line ,lsight S,-in Figure *1.

The shelf 5Is8 is adjustable in elevation .to assume upper .and'lowerpositions or levels'relative to the top of :the stand. Accordingly, theshelf 1.8 has .a front-bracket 2'4 and a rear bracket 25 secured ztheretzby which :the shelf i8 is .pivotally and removably attached to thestand H. The rear-bracket 25 has ahinge point or pin '26 thereonnormally engaging a companion point or recess '21 in the lower portionof the rear leg l3 with'the shelf .Ni inlower position, a similar recess28 in the upper portion of the leg l3 being provided for the elevatedposition of the shelf 18. The lower portion of each leg is offsetoutwardly, laterally of the stand, by elbows as will be obvious fromFigures 1 and 4. The forward part of shelf I8 is supported in the lowerportion of the front leg I3 by a retractable, spring-pressed pin 29,having a projecting end 3| engageable in an aperture 32 of the frontbracket 24, the pin 29 and the aperture 32 co-operating with the pin 26and its recess 21 to support the table leaf I 8 with its inner marginportion adjacent the stand H, that is, nested within the corner formedby the upper leg portion and the elbow bend. The pin 29 is slidablyjournaled in the front leg l3 and includes a knob 30 for convenientretraction and is yieldably held in engagement with the aperture 32 by aspring 33 abutting the leg I3 and a collar 34 on the pin 29. Forsecuring the shelf in elevated position, the front leg l3 also carriesin its upper portion a restractable pin 36 which includes a knob 31 anda collar 38 against which a spring 39 presses to slidably hold an end 40of the pin engaged in the bracket aperture 32.

The shelf I8 is further supported, adjacent its free end, by an anglebrace or strut device comprising a bail 42 flexibly and slidablyconnected at its medial portion to the end side of the shelf 48 byjournals 4|, the co-extensive arms or struts of the bail 42 terminatingin fore and aft directed studs 43 engageable in recesses 44 for lowerposition of the shelf, or in recesses 45 for elevated position thereof.The bail 42 being resiliently constructed, has the arms thereof capableof flexure toward each other to facilitate retraction of the studs 43from the recesses 44 or 45 selectively in effecting the desiredplacement of the shelf.

When it is desired to raise the shelf I8 to its upper position or level,whereat its inner margin overtops the stand vertically above the upperportions of the legs l3, as shown in dot and dash, Figure 1, the knob 39is pulled to release the pin end 3! from bracket aperture 32 of theshelf and at the same time the shelf is slightly moved forwardly, Figure2, from its normal position, indicated by the broken line A, to free pin26 from the aperture 21 in the rear leg l3, the shelf being slidable onthe bail for limited forward movement. Shelf I8 is now partly supportedonthe bail 42, and can easily be tilted to position so as to insert thepin 26 in the upper hole 28, while at the front, the shelf is secured byinserting the pin 36 into the aperture 32 of bracket 24, the pin-end 40being temporarily retracted to facilitate alignment of the aperture 32with the pinend 40. To now bring the shelf l8 to horizontal position,inward pressure is applied to the two arms of bail 42, to withdraw thestuds 43 from holes 44 so that bail 42 may be raised and the studs 43inserted in the upper holes 45. It will be apparent that, to lower theshelf l8 the procedure is substantially the same.

To bring shelf l8 to a collapsed pendent position the studs 43 of bail42 are disengaged from apertures 45 and bail 42 and shelf l8 are allowedto swing down to a vertical position as shown in Figure 4. The brackets24 space the thus dropped shelf 18 away from the upper portions of thelegs l3 to permit the shelf to hang parallel to and close against thelower portions of the legs l3.

The right shelf I!) may be similarly dropped and therefore has twobrackets 46 pivoted on pins 41 journaled in the right-hand legs l4 ofthe stand. A bail 49 is pivoted in journal-plates 48 and the ends arebent to form studs 50 which engage apertures 5| in the legs l4. Tocollapse the right shelf I 9 inward pressure is applied to thedownwardly projecting legs of the bail 49 to free the bail studs 50 fromholes 5| and the shelf l9 will thus hang on the pins 41 in a verticalposition as shown in Figure 4.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the invention provides, inaddition to other features and advantages, a work shelf in novelassociation with a stand for business machines and offset therefrom byimproved supporting means affording selective positioning of the shelfat various elevations and without necessitating the complete detachmentthereof from the stand, also permitting the folding of the shelf againstthe stand for compactness, when its use is not required.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, andportions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a business machine stand; a pair of front and rear legs at oneside, each leg having a lower portion offset outwardly, laterally of thestand, from an upper portion by elbows, a side table leaf havingdepending brackets presenting, below the underside of said leaf, hingepoints detachably receivable by companion points on the upper portionsof said legs below the stand top, said points and brackets being adaptedto dispose said leaf at a level and so that its inner side marginovertops the stand vertically above the upper portions of said legs,said offset lower portions of the legs presenting points, offsetoutwardly from the upper leg portion points, to receive said brackethinge points to place said table leaf alternatively at a lower levelwhereat said inner leaf margin is nested substantially within the cornerformed by the upper leg portions and the elbow from the upper legportions, and a strut device adjustable to support said table leaf ateither level.

2. In a business machine stand; a pair of front and rear legs at oneside, each leg having a lower upright portion offset outwardly,laterally of the stand, from an upper portion by elbows, a side tableleaf having depending brackets presenting, below the underside of saidleaf, hinge points detachably receivable by companion points on theupper portions of said legs below the stand top, said points andbrackets being adapted to dispose said leaf at a level and so that itsinner side margin overtops the stand vertically above the upper portionsof said legs, said offset lower portions of the legs presenting points,offset outwardly from the upper leg portion points, to receive saidbracket hinge points to place said table leaf alternatively at a lowerlevel whereat said inner leaf margin is nested substantially within thecorner formed by the upper leg portions and the elbow from the upper legportions, and a strut device adjustable to support said table leaf ateither level, said table leaf being adapted to be dropped about itshinge points in the upper leg portions, said brackets being adapted tospace the dropped leaf outwardly from the upper leg portions so thatsaid leaf may hang substantially parallel with and closely against theupright lower leg portions.

WALTER. T. SAGNER.

